Accellerate! the Quarterly Review of the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition

Fall 2011 Volume 4: Issue 1 AccELLerate! The quarterly review of the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition

The National Professional Development and the Native American and Alaska Native Children in School Programs

This issue of AccELLerate! highlights two Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) grant programs—the National Pro- fessional Development (NPD) program and the Native American and Alaska Native Children in School (NAM) program. This issue looks at some of the past, ongoing, and new projects funded through these programs and presents a variety of strategies that fall under two general topic areas—(1) professional development and (2) support for Native American and Alaska Native (NA/AN) students.

The articles are grouped by these topic areas, the first being professional development (PD). López describes the NPD program and application review process, followed by several articles that report successful implementation of NPD-funded PD projects (Huss-Lederman et al., Walker & Shafer, and He & Prater). In addition, Grassi & Castro share the effects of an innovative program for pre-service teachers.

The second group of articles addresses issues in NA/AN students’ education. Torres Carrion describes the NAM program and provides a list of newly funded projects. Wilde offers a summary of facts and figures regarding NAs/ANs, Rassmussen & Romanova discuss P–16 alignment, and Lara provides key strategies for addressing the needs of NA students.

Several shorter articles (by Cook; Swinney; Cadiente-Laiti; and Romero-Little) offer creative ideas and state-of-the-art tools to support the teaching and learning of all EL students, including NAs/ANs. Finally, Tillman provides useful tips for grant writers. We hope this new issue will inspire reflection, further scholarship, and a desire to implement new ideas in educational practice.

In this issue of AccELLerate! Professional Development for Teachers of ELs Grassi & Castro Learning from Our Neighbors: Teachers “Studying Abroad” in the Neighborhood with Local Immigrant Families (page 10) He & Prater Collaborating in Heritage Language Development (page 12) Huss-Lederman, Schneider, & Sherlock How Professional Learning Communities Can Support High-School Academic Achievement (page 4) López Title III National Professional Development Program (page 2) Walker & Shafer Designing Teacher Education Programs for Rural EL Teachers (page 5) Native American and Alaska Native Children Lara Voices of Native Educators: Strategies That Support the Success of Native American High-School Students (page 22) Rasmussen & Romanova From Cradleboard to Career: P-16 Initiatives for Native American Education (page 17) Torres Carrion Title III Native American and Alaska Native Children in School Program (page 14) Wilde Facts and Figures---Native American and Alaskan Native Children (page 20)

Also in this issue Editor’s Notes (page 2) Success Stories: Cadiente-Laiti (page 18), Romero-Little (page 23) Teachers’ Gems of Wisdom: Cook (page 7) Information Pieces: Swinney (page 8), Tillman (page 24)

TheThe NationalNational ClearinghouseClearinghouse forfor EnglishEnglish LanguageLanguage AcquisitionAcquisition www.ncela.gwu.eduwww.ncela.gwu.edu 2 Title III National Professional Development Program Samuel López

The NPD program, authorized under important source of program informa- Editor’s Notes Title III of the ESEA of 1965, as amend- tion on successes and lessons learned The following signs and abbreviations are used ed, awards grants on a competitive is the project evaluation conducted in this issue. basis, for a period of not more than five under individual grants. ED has devel- — Success stories describe promising projects or ideas years, to institutions of higher educa- oped the following GPRA performance tion in consortia with State educational measures for evaluating the overall — Teachers’ gems of wisdom share agencies or local educational agencies. effectiveness of the NPD program: effective instructional practices These grants support PD activities that 1.1: The percentage of pre-service pro- are designed to improve classroom gram completers who are State- and/ — Information pieces instruction for ELs and assist educa- or locally-certified, licensed, or en- EL— English learners tional personnel working with such dorsed in EL instruction; ELP—English-language proficiency children to meet high professional 1.2: The percentage of pre-service pro- ESEA—Elementary and Secondary Education Act standards, including standards for certi- gram completers who are placed in ESL—English as a Second Language fication and licensure as teachers who instructional settings serving ELs with- IHE—Institution of Higher Education work in language instruction educa- in one year of program completion; NA/AN—Native American/Alaska Native tional programs or serve ELs. Grants 1.3: The percentage of pre-service pro- PD—Professional development ED—U.S. Department of Education awarded under this program may be gram completers who are providing used for, but are not limited to, the instructional services to ELs 3 years Citations in the text are in [bracketed numbers]; following programs: after program completion; the references follow each article in the same numerical order. Other notes are indicated by 1. Pre-service professional development 1.4: The percentage of paraprofes- consecutively numbered superscripts. programs that will assist local schools sional program completers who meet and institutions of higher education State and/or local qualifications for (IHEs) to upgrade the qualifications paraprofessionals working with ELs; and skills of educational personnel 1.5: The percentage of in-service Competitive Preference Priority 1-– who are not certified or licensed, es- teacher completers who complete Novice Applicants (§75.225, Education pecially educational paraprofessionals; State and/or local certification, licen- Department General Administrative 2. The development of program curric- sure, or endorsement requirements in Regulations [EDGAR] [34 CFR 75.225]). ula appropriate to the needs of the EL instruction as a result of the pro- Under this priority, the Secretary gives consortia participants involved; and gram; and special consideration to novice appli- 3. In conjunction with other Federal 1.6: The percentage of in-service cants. A novice applicant means any need-based student financial assis- teacher completers who are provid- applicant for a grant from ED that - tance programs, for financial assis- ing instructional services to ELs. (i) Has never received a grant or sub- tance and costs related to tuition, fees, grant under the program from which and books for courses required to In addition to reporting GPRA measure it seeks funding; complete a degree, or to meet certifi- data, evaluations are designed to as- (ii) Has never been a member of a cation or licensing requirements for sess project effectiveness in meeting group application, submitted in accor- teachers who work in language in- individual project goals, objectives, and dance with 34 CFR 75.127-75.129 that struction educational programs or measures. Grantees report GPRA meas- received a grant under the program serve ELs. ure data and report qualitative and from which it seeks funding; and quantitative data related to project ob- (iii) Has not had an active discretionary Project Evaluation jectives in the Grantee Annual Perform- grant from the Federal Government in Under the Government Performance ance Report. the five years before the deadline date and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), Fed- for applications under the program. eral departments and agencies must For our most recent NPD grant award For the purposes of this requirement, a clearly describe the goals and objec- competition, held in 2011, we invited grant is active until the end of the tives of programs, identify resources applicants to address three competitive grant's project or funding period, in- and actions needed to accomplish preference priorities and two invita- cluding any extensions of those peri- goals and objectives, develop a means tional priorities. ods that extend the grantee's authority of measuring progress made, and to obligate funds. regularly report on achievement. One

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 3

In the case of a group application sub- would collaborate with local educa- cation. All reviewer scores were en- mitted in accordance with 34 CFR tional agencies to provide programs tered into ED’s G5 system and verified, 75.127-75.129, a group applicant is such as the following: and a rank order list was generated. considered a novice applicant if the  Professional development to improve Standardized scores were not used. group includes only parties that meet the ability of teacher preparation fac- This list formed the basis for the num- the requirements listed in this priority. ulty and content faculty at IHEs in ber of NPD grants awarded. The 42 preparing prospective teachers to applications selected for funding Competitive Preference Priority 2--- teach ELs; scored between 110 and 102. In select- Enabling More Data-Based Decision-  The development of teacher educa- ing applications, OELA does not apply Making tion curricula that (a) are aligned a geographical distribution. In addition, To collect (or obtain), analyze, and use with State content standards in aca- more than one application from an high-quality and timely data, including demic subjects and State ELP stan- applicant may be selected for funding. data on program participant outcomes, dards; and (b) prepare all teacher For a complete list of grantees please in accordance with privacy require- candidates in an IHE to provide in- see: http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/files/ ments (as defined in the notice), in the struction that accelerates ELs’ acquisi- uploads/6/2011NPDAwardees.pdf following priority area: Improving in- tion of language, literacy, and con- structional practices, policies, and stu- tent knowledge. Priorities Addressed by New Grantees dent outcomes in elementary or secon- No application met Competitive Priority dary schools. We did not give preference to applica- 1-Novice Applicants, 39 addressed tions that met these invitational priori- Competitive Priority 2-Enabling More Competitive Preference Priority 3--- ties. Data-Based Decision-Making, 37 ad- Promoting Science, Technology, Engi- dressed Competitive Priority 3-Promot- neering, and Mathematics (STEM) Edu- Grant Application Review Process ing STEM education. In addition, 7 ap- cation A total of 276 applications were re- plications addressed Invitational Priority To increase the opportunities for high- ceived by the closing date; of these, 14 1-Improving Achievement and High quality preparation of, or professional were deemed ineligible, 12 were exact School Graduation Rates and 24 ad- development for, teachers or other duplicates of other applications submit- dressed Invitational Priority 2-Improving educators of STEM subjects. ted under the competition, 1 was ineli- Preparation of All Teachers to Better gible because the applicant did not Serve English Learners. We added competitive preference pri- apply in a consortium with a State edu- ority points to Priorities 2 and 3 only to cational agency or a local educational Project Monitoring applications that scored 80 or higher. agency, and 1 was ineligible because it OELA program staff will monitor grants was not submitted by an IHE. for fiscal and program effectiveness Invitational Priority 1—-Improving and provide technical assistance to Achievement and High School Gradua- ED convened 27 G5-Reader peer re- grantee staff in order to improve the tion Rates view panels from June 1 through June quality and quantity of grantee evalua- To accelerate learning and helping to 20. Each application was read and in- tions and performance reports and to improve high school graduation rates dependently rated by two non-federal ensure that grantees meet perform- and college enrollment rates for stu- reviewers. The two reviewers discussed ance objectives and prevent high risk dents in rural local educational agen- the scores after they independently among grantees. cies. rated them in order to compare scores and comments and to determine if ei- Samuel López, Ph.D., is an education Invitational Priority 2—-Improving Prepa- ther reader had overlooked or misinter- program specialist and program man- ration of All Teachers to Better Serve preted information in the application ager for the National Professional De- English Learners that may have influenced the evalua- velopment program in the Office of To improve a teacher education pro- tion of the application. Following the English Language Acquisition, U.S. De- gram at an IHE in order to better pre- discussion, reviewers had an opportu- partment of Education. E-mail: pare all participants in a teacher educa- nity to change their scores, if desired, [email protected]. tion program to provide effective in- but were not required to come to a struction to ELs. In such projects, IHEs consensus in the scoring of any appli-

Editor’s note: Look for this sign to identify articles written by recipients of OELA’s National Professional Development Program grants.

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 4 How Professional Learning Communities Can Support High School Academic Achievement Susan Huss-Lederman, Melanie Schneider, and Wallace Sherlock

Introduction teaching effectiveness in a timely man- set the following shared goals (Principle Although professional learning commu- ner; 2): nities (PLCs) have become widespread 5. Self-Directed Reflection—The team 1. Improve EL achievement by reducing in schools [1], few studies have exam- engages in a cycle of inquiry that en- the number of course failures; ined either (a) the process of PLC devel- ables members to evaluate their pro- 2. Increase the number of ELs taking opment in high schools or (b) the contri- gress in setting, meeting, and evaluat- college Advanced Placement (AP) bution of PLCs to the school outcomes ing goals; and courses; of ELs. This article reports the success of 6. Strong Leadership Support—Adminis- 3. Improve ELs’ academic writing; a PLC from Sandy Creek High School,1 trators are actively involved in leader- 4. Determine why more ELs were not one team in a consortium of five school ship roles to support the team’s efforts. exiting the program; and districts participating in an OELA-funded These principles are neither hierarchical 5. Increase all teachers’ use of instruc- National Professional Development nor followed sequentially. The Sandy tional strategies to support the learning Grant received in 2007 by the University Creek High School PLC provides an ex- of all students. of Wisconsin-Whitewater. We examine ample of these six principles in action. both the process and the effectiveness Because vocabulary subscores on the of the Sandy Creek High School team in The Story of the Sandy Creek High state-mandated ACCESS English profi- accelerating EL achievement. School PLC ciency test were low,2 in the third year The Sandy Creek School District is small— the PLC decided that a broad focus on Defining a PLC about 2,000 students in a town of vocabulary instruction at the high Professional learning communities are 14,000. The district is diverse, with 70% school would benefit both ELs and Eng- known by different names—communi- of students reporting as white, 23% as lish-proficient students. Following this ties of practice, professional teams, or Hispanic, and 4% as other races. Four- emphasis, during the third year the PLC PLCs. Such terms may refer to one or teen percent of all students are classified efforts turned to improving academic more small groups of teachers, to mixed as ELs, and almost all speak Spanish as a reading and writing skills—note-taking, groups of personnel within an educa- native language. At Sandy Creek High summarizing, and paraphrasing—across tional institution, or to the school itself School, the PLC consisted of four teach- subject areas. Efforts supported the dis- [1]. The goal of most PLCs is to improve ers from different subject areas, an ad- trict-wide implementation of the 6+1 students’ educational achievement by ministrator who began her career at the Trait® approach to teaching writing.3 invigorating instructional practices. We high school before becoming district EL Each year, all teachers at the high define the PLC as a team in which tea- coordinator, and a university professor. school were invited to participate in the chers and administrators work together PLC, with over half of the 45 teachers to set goals for learning, share their Although participation was voluntary, participating in the third year, and 13 learning, and act on their learning [2]. the administrator invited teachers who participating in the fourth. Due to the would work well together to join the focus on vocabulary development and The question is, how do such teams PLC. Teachers received an annual sti- specific elements of academic literacy, work? The following six principles have pend for their participation. They met at the percentage of ELs achieving greater been shown to guide effective PLCs [1]: regularly scheduled times throughout than three on the six-point proficiency 1. Stable Settings—The team designates the school year, also taking advantage scale of the ACCESS test increased from a time and place to meet regularly; of the PD hours specified in their con- 30% to 55%. At the same time, course 2. Shared Values and Goals—Team tract and meeting for extended time failure by ELs decreased by 35%. members create a focus with the goal after parent-teacher conferences of improved student learning; (Principle 1). Additionally, PLC members Throughout the project, the PLC took up 3. Collective Responsibility—Team mem- attended annual, consortium-wide PD other responsibilities to address team bers contribute their expertise and are conferences held at the University of goals. For example, data indicated that held accountable for improved student Wisconsin-Whitewater. Despite external ELs were not exiting the ESL program in learning; professional support, the PLC faced chal- a timely manner. In combination with 4. Authentic Assessment—-The team lenges in interpreting data and formulat- other exit criteria, students must score at uses student work and other assess- ing goals during its first two years. least a five on the ACCESS exam. The EL ments to evaluate student learning and Nevertheless, the PLC persevered and coordinator and high-school ESL/

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 5 bilingual teacher met with students be- undertook a multi-year process to im- 3. The 6+1Trait® approach to the teaching fore the test period, discussed their past prove instruction, outreach, and support and assessment of writing was initially devel- ACCESS score reports, and encouraged so that ELs could recognize and capital- oped by Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory in Portland, Oregon. Since its begin- them to do their best. Subsequently, the ize on their academic achievement. The nings in the language arts, the approach has number of students receiving scores improved ACCESS test scores, the in- been adapted for use across the curriculum. high enough to exit the ESL program creased percentage of students who The traits are: ideas, organization, voice, word increased. To boost EL enrollment in AP exited from ESL support programs, the choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and courses, PLC members counseled ELs to decline in course failures, the boost in presentation. For additional information, see register for such courses with a friend. numbers of students benefiting from AP educationnorthwest.org.

As a result, from 2007 to 2010, the num- courses to prepare for college, and high References ber of EL student enrollments in AP enrollment in institutions of higher edu- 1. Carroll, T. G., Fulton, K., & Doerr, H. (Eds.). courses increased from 0 to 54, and cation are all measures of this success. In (2010). Team up for 21st century teaching 90% of graduating high school students addition, the focus on vocabulary devel- and learning: What research and practice once classified as ELs enrolled in college. opment and academic reading and reveal about professional learning. Washing- These efforts demonstrate collective re- writing skills for ELs in content courses ton, DC: National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. sponsibility (Principle 3); use of authentic resulted in increased writing proficiency 2. Hord, S. M. (1997). Professional learning assessment to guide evaluation and infor all students, as measured by the communities: Communities of continuous structional improvement (Principle 4); school district writing rubric. Although inquiry and improvement. Austin, TX: South- and self-directed reflection (Principle 5), PLCs usually are organized by discipline west Educational Development Laboratory. as PLC members met, revised, and coor- or grade level in secondary schools [3], 3. Jacobson, D. (2010). Coherent instructional dinated each action to reach team the results of the multidisciplinary PLC improvement and professional learning communities: Is it possible to do both? Phi Delta goals. The EL coordinator facilitated this show the value of attending to aca- Kappan, 91(6), 38-45. process, demonstrating her capable demic literacy across disciplines and leadership (Principle 6). grade levels to the benefit of all students. Susan Huss-Lederman, Ph.D., is an associate professor, Melanie Schneider, Ed.D., is Indicators of Achievement Notes an assistant professor, and Wallace Sher- 1. Pseudonym. At the start of this NPD project, PLCs lock, Ph.D., is an associate professor, Uni- 2. The ACCESS test was developed by WIDA, a were asked to envision their schools as consortium of over 20 states engaged in the versity of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Corre- they could be five years in the future instruction and assessment of English language sponding author’s e-mail is: and to use that image to set realistic learners. For additional information, see [email protected]. goals. The Sandy Creek High School PLC www.wida.us.

Designing Teacher Education Programs for Rural EL Teachers Anne Walker and Jill Shafer In the past decade the number of ELs approaches in which teachers, para- tablish a graduate EL teacher endorse- in rural schools has risen dramatically; it professionals, or parents are encour- ment program. Both the program de- is estimated that over 50 percent of aged to obtain their EL teacher creden- sign and the curriculum were devel- rural schools currently have at least tials. However, the distance to the oped to address the needs of rural EL one EL student in attendance [1]. This nearest college or university may be teachers, while meeting state teacher growth has created a significant short- formidable. Moreover, EL teacher edu- education standards and national ac- age of EL teachers in rural areas. Of the cation programs in urban areas often creditation requirements. The program 29 states that have reported EL teacher focus on EL populations and programs offered scholarships to rural EL teach- shortages for the 2011-2012 school that are far removed from the rural ers who were working under a state- year [2], 16 are states with significant school context. For example, rural issued waiver that allowed them two rural EL populations, including Arizona, schools are typically small in size and years to obtain their official EL endorse- Idaho, Minnesota, New Mexico, and do not enroll large numbers of ELs, ment. Tennessee. In Idaho, for instance, a making newcomer programs, bilingual recent study found that 72% of school programs, and sheltered English This article, based upon course and districts with EL teacher vacancies re- classes impractical. program evaluations and frequent ported they were “hard” or “very hard” conversations with participants, details to fill [3]. In response to an EL teacher shortage aspects of the program that the rural in the rural state of North Dakota, the EL teachers found beneficial in prepar- Unable to recruit EL teachers, many University of North Dakota wrote and ing them for the challenges of rural EL rural schools rely on “grow your own” received an NPD grant in 2001 to es- education.

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Program Design where most of the staff had never re- This proved invaluable, as supervisors The program’s online course delivery ceived professional development in not only helped the students improve allowed participants access to university working with ELs, participants were their teaching, but they helped im- study without having to drive long dis- required to lead an in-service on the prove the schools’ EL programs as well. tances. Because rural school districts topic. Participants also were required to Supervisors also helped select EL mate- often employ only one EL teacher, a present at the regional TESOL confer- rials and offered advice on intervention strong networking component was ence in the hope that they would be- strategies for EL students not making built into the program to help the EL come leaders and advocates for ELs in adequate progress. teachers feel less geographically and their schools and professional associa- professionally isolated. An in-person tions. Program Evaluation seminar, typically held in conjunction Program evaluation consisted of a vari- with a regional TESOL conference or a Curriculum Design ety of data including admissions stan- state Title III meeting, was held once a The graduate endorsement program dards, the number of program com- semester. The grant covered partici- consisted of seven courses required for pleters, teachers’ test scores on the pants’ travel and lodging. Participants North Dakota EL teacher endorsement, Praxis II Teaching English as a Second networked with each other and with one of which, Foundations of EL Edu- Language exam, course and workshop experienced EL teachers at the semi- cation, was designed with rural schools evaluations, and the number of teach- nars while learning about other re- in mind. Because participants would ers conducting in-services in their sources available to them. likely be their school’s only EL expert, schools and presenting at EL-related this course covered federal and state EL conferences. Of a total 44 teachers, 43 Because the participants worked in policies, program development and completed the program and the pass rural schools with only pull-out or push- evaluation, and collaboration with gen- rate on the Praxis II exam was over in EL programs, they attended a grant- eral-education teachers and other edu- 90%. All the teachers participating in funded field trip to St. Paul, Minneapo- cational specialists. Participants were the leadership and mentoring program lis, where they observed a newcomer’s prepared with the knowledge needed completed the requirements of con- program, sheltered English classes, and to not only teach, but to administer ducting an in-service and presented at a transitional bilingual education pro- rural EL programs. a regional conference. What stood out gram. Although the teachers would the most in program evaluation, how- not be working in such programs, the Course assignments frequently were ever, was how highly the teachers val- university instructors felt it was impor- designed to allow participants to study ued the interactive nature of the pro- tant that the EL teachers understand aspects of EL education specific to their gram and the opportunities to network the contexts of both urban and rural EL rural school and community needs. For with faculty and colleagues. Years later, education. example, EL teachers working with the regional TESOL conference and American Indian students often elected state Title III workshops continue to Since EL teachers in rural schools are to study methods and strategies suc- provide opportunities for the teachers often responsible for the entire EL pro- cessful with long term ELs, or to learn to network and to maintain the profes- gram, not just the instruction of chil- more about native language revitaliza- sional relationships that help sustain dren, and rural school administrators tion programs. EL teachers working them in their often-isolated jobs as EL often have little expertise in EL program with Hispanic migrant students fre- teachers in rural schools. design and evaluation, the program quently elected to learn more about included a two-day summer workshop migrant education and the use of Conclusion to help rural schools develop, evaluate, Spanish cognates, while participants Many features of the EL teacher educa- and improve their EL programs. Rural teaching in Hutterite colonies often tion program described above would schools sent teams, consisting of the EL elected to learn more about their stu- not have been possible without the teacher, the school principal or district dents’ religion, history, and language. support of an NPD grant, especially the superintendent, and two other staff, to frequent opportunities for the rural the workshop, where a consultant Due to the limited number of experi- teachers to meet and interact with worked with them to develop a pro- enced EL teachers who could serve as each other and program faculty. gram improvement plan. local practicum supervisors in the rural However, there are many cost-effective regions of North Dakota, and because ways in which EL teacher education Lastly, the grant provided teacher sti- recordings of practicum teaching pro- programs can be responsive to the pends for a one-year leadership and vided only a narrow glimpse of the needs of EL teachers either planning mentoring program following the com- classroom, the grant budget included on or currently working in rural pletion of endorsement coursework. funds for supervisors to travel to rural schools. For example, online discussion Because participants taught in schools schools to observe practicum students. groups can be organized under urban,

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 7 suburban, and rural designations, and and secondary schools in the United overcome the greatest challenges. Multi- assignments can be altered for rele- States. Washington, DC: U.S. Department cultural Education, 15(3) 39-43. vance to different teaching contexts. It of Education, Institute of Education Sci- is crucial that teacher education pro- ences. Retrieved from nces.ed.gov/ Anne Walker, Ph.D., is an associate grams address the shortage of EL pubs2009/2009321/tables/ professor at the University of North sass0708_2009321_s12n_02.asp. Dakota in the College of Education teachers in rural schools by providing 2. Office of Postsecondary Education accessible, flexible, and relevant pro- and Human Development. Jill Shafer, (2011). Teacher shortage area nation- Ph.D., is an assistant professor also in fessional development. wide list. Washington, DC: U.S. Depart- ment of Education. Retrieved from the College of Education and Human References www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/ Development at the University of 1. National Center for Education Statistics pol/tsa.pdf. North Dakota. Corresponding au- (2009). Characteristics of public, private 3. Batt, E. (2008). Teachers' perceptions of thor’s e-mail: and Bureau of Indian Affairs elementary ELL education: Potential solutions to [email protected]

Storytelling: A Community Approach to Literacy for ELs

Storytelling establishes a community in which all students can relate their own experiences to a story and to the narratives of the others in the group, share cultural identities, and strengthen their language and literacy skills [1, 2]. This article ex- plains one way that I have successfully integrated storytelling into group work to support literacy development with ELs.

While telling The drum: A folktale from India [3] to a group of fifth-grade ELs, I modeled how voice intonations, gestures, and facial expressions work together to create meaning. Alexa, a fifth-grade EL, exemplified this idea when she told me, “Listening to you storytell … whenever I read it I do not understand it good but whenever you [tell] it with expression and I know everything.”

After storytelling, we had a discussion about the magic in the story. By showing kindness to others the main character of the tale gained the object of his dreams—a drum. The students created a new story based on this model that we then told as a class, with each student reciting a part. It was entitled, “The Story of the iPhone.” With each retelling, the students gained confidence in their speech and added more gestures, even ad-libbing. Carmen provided positive feedback for this approach when she said, “Playing it out … was really fun and we learn more about storytelling.”

These listening and speaking activities were followed by reading and writing. Telling the story first allowed the students to hear the tale. This supported them in their comprehension and provided them with a model and a theme for a writing ex- ercise. Before each student wrote his or her own story, we had a brainstorming session. I introduced how to use a graphic organizer, a visual map to organize ideas. The students had choices of topics and could work with a partner. The writing assignment emphasized story structure rather than writing conventions. In this way, the students first gained an overview of writing and then finalized it with the editing process. This approach also provided students with the opportunity to use individual learning styles. Lola enjoyed that, “When we had to write a story, we do it with a partner,” whereas Jorgé said, “I like to come up with my own stories.”

By creating their own stories, students have the opportunity to show their knowledge of story structure. Their ideas become oral and written tales to be shared with other students, and those tales provide a strong foundation for building their literacy skills.

Note All students’ names are pseudonyms.

References 1. Craig, S., Hull, K., Haggart, A. G., & Crowder, E. (2001). Storytelling: Addressing the literacy needs of diverse learners. Teaching Excep- tional Children, 33(5), 46-51. 2. Martínez-Roldán, C. (2003). Building worlds and identities: A case study of the role of narratives in bilingual literature discussions. Research in the Teaching of English, 37(4), 491-526. 3. Cleveland, R. (2006). The drum: A folktale from India. Atlanta, GA: August House Story Cove.

Submitted by Carolyn L. Cook, Ph.D., assistant professor of education, Mount St. Mary’s University, Maryland. E-mail: [email protected]

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 8

Using Technology to Provide PD for Educators of ELs

With the increased availability of instructional technology, we are better equipped to offer PD in a virtual setting to educators located anywhere in the world, including remote rural areas, where institutions of higher education may not be easily accessible. Here are some of the possibilities.

Program/Course Delivery Options 1. Hybrid: combines students at a distance (online) with students on site (on-ground). 2. Online: has no face-to-face (on-ground) component. 3. Blended: sometimes used interchangeably with hybrid; combines synchronous and asynchronous activities. Both hybrid and online courses can be blended.

Synchronous tools. Table 1lists examples of synchronous tools that provide same-time communication in a virtual setting. These tools incorporate audio and video for lecture and discussion that may be recorded for playback on demand. In addition to a computer and the internet, the use of these tools requires a webcam, a headset, and/or a telephone. Some tools have free versions available for public use.

Asynchronous tools. Table 2 lists examples of asynchronous tools that allow participants to work at their own pace rather than meeting at set times or places. Asynchronous tools may be text-based or multimedia. Multimedia tools include audio and video for students to view on demand and, besides a computer and the internet, require a webcam and a headset. Text-based tools can include photos, documents, audio, and video.

Resources. Table 3 lists examples of resources that can be used to organize and provide content to students online.

Table 1. Synchronous tools

Tool Description Vendors/Applications Video High quality two-way video and audio. Pro- www.Polycom.com Conference prietary hardware and software at each site. www.Tanberg.com Requires that participants meet in physical room with equipment. Web Uses the Internet for two-way video and audio Adobe Connect: www.adobe.com/products/ Conference conferencing. Available at home, in the office, adobeconnect.html or in school. One-on-one or one-to-many. Blackboard Collaborate: www.blackboard.com/ platforms/collaborate/overview.aspx Microsoft LiveMeeting: www.microsoft.livemeetingplace.com WebEx: www.webex.com Skype (free): www.skype.com

Instant Generally on a one-to-one basis. Now avail- Blackboard IM : www.blackboard.com/platforms/ Messaging able with multimedia tools and desktop shar- Collaborate/Overview.aspx ing. Windows Live Messenger (free): www.explore.live.com Yahoo (free): www.messenger.yahoo.com

Virtual Meet others in an animated environment. Us- Second Life (free): www.secondlife.com Worlds ers create an avatar (an animated representa- New Media Consortium Second Life (members only): tion of the user) and use a headset or key- http://Sl.nmc.org board to communicate with others. Universi- ties and organizations hold classes, introduce students to their campus/organization, and present conferences and workshops.

Submitted by Lori A. Swinney, Ph.D., director of the Center for Instructional Learning Technology, University of North Da- kota. E-mail: [email protected].

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 9

Table 2. Asynchronous tools Tool Description Vendors/Applications Audio/Video Tools Presenter Records audio for PowerPoint presentations. Also video, quizzes, and www.Adobe.com interactive links. Plays as a Flash file through any Web browser.

Captivate Records what is being displayed on the computer screen, including www.Adobe.com narrated instructions. Can be used to familiarize students with an application, to teach website navigation, or to facilitate use of a Learning Management System (LMS) for coursework. Plays as Flash video using any Web browser. Jing Similar to Adobe Captivate but free. Five-minute recording limit. Can be Jing (free): used to give feedback to students or quick tour of a new program. www.techsmith.com/jing Podcasting Audio form of a discussion or a lecture/presentation. Students can listen Audacity (free): http:// to the recording using Window Media Player or Quicktime, or audacity.sourceforge.net download to any mobile device. Garageband (Mac only): http:// www.apple.com/ilife/garageband Wimba Voice Board: www.wimba.com

Lecture Records live presentations and lectures for playback at a later time (on- Software only Capture demand viewing). Some products include hardware and some are www.tegrity.com software-based. www.Panopto.com Software & hardware www.medisite.com www.echo360.com Text-based Tools Blog Combination of “web” and “log.” Can be used for posts and comments LMS Tool (a component of most Learning or as a private journal between instructor and student. Users can post Management Systems) messages any time; the most recent post appears at the top of the blog www.Blogger.com (free) and posts proceed in reverse chronological order. Can be used as a private journal between the instructor and students. www.Wordpress.com (free)

Wiki From a Hawaiian word meaning “fast” or “quick;” allows users to write LMS Tool (a component of most Learning and edit a Web page collaboratively. The Wiki includes a history of Management Systems) what was posted, by whom, and when. To see an example of how a www.Wikispaces.com (free) Wiki can be made into a complete website with many pages and en- tries, go to www.wikipedia.com.

Discussion Can be used to post messages and discuss coursework online. Different LMS Tool (a component of most Learning Forum from a blog in that it is organized by topic (threads) and maintains a Management Systems) linear structure following the posts and replies to the topic. www.delphiforums.com (free) www.bulletinboards.com (free) Ning Ning is a platform for creating community websites and social networks www.ning.com to learn and socialize.

Table 3. Resources Tool Description Vendors/Applications MERLOT Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching: http://merlot.org (free) online community, free and open to faculty, staff, and students. Links to learning materials posted by educators worldwide. Members can post resources and join discussions with colleagues. Learning Web-based system; vendors offer blogs, Wikis, content storage, grade www.blackboard.com Manage- book, roster, e-mail, quizzes, discussion forums, assignments, and/or www.desire2learn.com ment Sys- media files. Students enroll in courses and interact online. Can be a tem (LMS) closed, password-protected site. www.moodle.org (open source www.sakaiproject.org (open source)

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 10 Learning from Our Neighbors: Teachers “Studying Abroad” in the Neighborhood with Local Immigrant Families Elizabeth Grassi and Obdulia Castro

The Community-Based Spanish-English Data from student essays collected over self in to help A. set the table for dinner. It is exchange program (CB-SEEP) at Regis two years (in spring 2007 and spring strange to think that after only two months of University in Denver, Colorado, based 2008) from 40 participants indicates a weekly visits, I have connected with this family because we both have openly welcomed on the program developed by Ethel number of recurrent themes. Below we each other into our lives. I have learned more Jorge [1; 2], immerses pre-service have listed the themes with supporting about their history, values, and personalities in teachers in a new culture and lan- remarks from a variety of student par- our relaxed setting than I ever would have guage by having them study “abroad” ticipants, and a summary of what par- through a formal and instructional method.” with local Hispanic immigrant families. ticipants have learned about teacher —Student participant, third reflective essay Families teach our students the Spanish education.1 language during these visits, and our We unpack the actions or words the teachers become aware of what it Themes families use to make our teachers feel means to be an immigrant in the 1. Facing the unknown: A disorienting more comfortable and then help our United States, witnessing the struggles, experience teachers connect this experience to barriers, joys, and frustrations immi- “I literally left the house with a headache and their classrooms. grant families face on a daily basis. Our feeling sick to my stomach. I believe I felt this program introduces a paradigm way because I was out of my comfort zone—I 2. Finding a deeper understanding change by placing the families in posi- didn’t know what to say (because I don’t “I’ve never studied abroad, so this is the clos- know Spanish that well) I didn’t know how to est I have ever felt to ‘culture shock.’ I can’t tions of power as their knowledge and act (because I don’t know their customs) and imagine how nerve racking it must be to assets are accentuated. By increasing all I wanted to do was cry because I was so come to another country, not knowing the awareness of the strengths of the His- frustrated.” language, not knowing the societal rules, and panic families surrounding the univer- —Student participant, first reflective essay not knowing how you were going to support sity, we anticipated that students would your family. Visiting with my family gave me a begin to break down stereotypes and We expect teachers to understand and very real understanding of how difficult it is to empathize with ELs who are recent come into this country and try to live.” perceive our Hispanic neighbors, and —Student participant, third reflective essay Hispanic students and their families, as immigrants, yet the majority of teachers people who have much to offer—in have never experienced similar feelings Teachers understand that immigrant and out of the classroom [3]. of disorientation. When our teachers students and their families experience experience feelings of frustration, an- various struggles, including financial The CB-SEEP involves 10-15 weekly ger, exhaustion, and fear after the first difficulties. Teachers often read about visits to the homes of Hispanic immi- visit (and oftentimes find themselves these struggles in their education grant families. Pre-service teachers, in unable to pay attention during the classes or hear about them from stu- groups of three, are matched with visit), we compare these feelings to dents who experience them. But for families hand-picked by the local school those of a newcomer EL who must sit the most part, unless teachers have administrator, or by a program coordi- through class for five hours a day, five made regular home visits or developed nator who lives in the neighborhood. days a week. Our class discussion in- meaningful relationships with the immi- These ‘promotoras’ volunteer to partici- cludes the stages of cultural acquisition grant families, they will not know the pate in the program and determine the and typical EL student behaviors. We extent of those struggles. In the CB- schedule and activities for each visit. also discuss the challenge of coming to SEEP program, students visit the families a new country and needing to find regardless of the situation. When chil- The CB-SEEP program is a required por- work, health care, and schools. dren are sick, our students visit the fami- tion of the Multicultural Perspectives in lies in the hospital and witness their Education course. Utilizing research We ask our students what they can do attempts to communicate with doctors indicating positive effects of ethnogra- as teachers to make their EL students who do not speak Spanish. When fam- phic studies in language education [4; feel more comfortable in their class- ily members are deported, or cannot 5; 6], students engage in participant- rooms, and we connect this to their return to the states after visiting Mexico, observation, write up field notes after experiences as family visits progress: “My our students witness terrible grief. Be- each visit, and translate these notes into relationship with the family has developed cause the families “adopt” our teachers, four reflective essays. from the initial awkward greeting of trying to use the proper cultural norms, to letting my- our students are given the opportunity

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 11 to experience what it means to try to lies and get to know them better, many Preliminary data suggest that our pre- survive in a language and culture differ- of their previously held stereotypes are service teachers were transformed by ent from one’s own. shattered and they may experience their immersion experiences. They re- confusion. We believe this stage is an ported a deeper understanding of im- 3. From theory to practice important part of learning: As we adapt migrant families in the university neigh- “I feel I have gained something much more to new things (new knowledge, new borhoods and were better able to ar- valuable than a foreign language. And that is ideas, new environments), we become ticulate the struggles immigrants face in knowing how my students feel if their culture confused, but it is through trying to the U.S. in general and in classrooms or language is any different than the majority. resolve this conflict that actual learning specifically. A small percentage of stu- I have been taught about it for the last four years but got the opportunity to experience it happens and we find ways to advance. dents reported how stereotypes they first hand for the last ten weeks.” once held were challenged through —Student participant, fourth reflective essay 5. Rules of the college game participation in the program. The data “They asked us what we would have to do to also indicate that our students are able “As the family has shown me, I need to live as get P. into our university when he was old to reflect on their experiences with the a type of cultural broker. It becomes my re- enough.” families and translate them into better sponsibility to reach out to families and make —Student participant, fourth reflective essay classroom practices. Many students sure that they know they can come to me reported that they would change as- with questions.” “J. always tells us, ‘Talk to my kids about col- —Student participant, third reflective essay lege and tell them how hard they have to pects of their teaching to make immi- work.’” grant students more comfortable and We can provide readings, in-services, —Student participant, third reflective essay to help them access academic content. and PD to teachers on the linguistic An unanticipated benefit of the pro- and cultural struggles immigrant chil- We often talk to our teachers about gram was the role model our university dren will face in schools. However, until discussing the options of college with students provided to the children of the teachers have experienced these chal- students starting as young as possible. households. The families valued the lenges for themselves, and have wit- We want our teachers to hold high university presence in their households. nessed their own reactions to linguistic expectations for all students, and one Families asked our students about uni- and cultural stress, it is hard for them to component of these expectations in- versity life, the rules for entering the truly understand the behaviors of their volves the possibility of college. Our university, the relationship between students—especially those who exhibit teachers are surprised when their fam- grades and admission to a university, language and culture shock in the ily has seniors in high school and no and financial aid/scholarships. Students form of ‘not paying attention,’ ‘anger,’ one in the family understands the “rules brought families on campus to see the or ‘depression.’ Teachers who have of the game” for entering college. The facilities, eat in the cafeteria, and ob- participated in the program empathize college admissions process is navigated serve dorm life. Through informal con- more with EL students and meet their most successfully by those who can versations and observations, we find needs in the classroom more success- afford to purchase a 'cultural broker' or that our students are more willing to fully. who have ready access to a high- teach in “high risk” districts, and our school counselor. Children whose fami- students tend to reach out to the fami- 4. Changing beliefs lies do not speak English as a first lan- lies of Hispanic students in their class- “I think back on all the cultural walls and language, and are economically disadvan- rooms. guage differences that separated ‘me’ from taged, generally do not realize that ‘them.’ Now the words ‘me’ from ‘them’ there are ways for them to attend col- It is crucial that universities begin to sound harsh and cold because the family is lege as well. When our teachers are train teachers who are comfortable no longer the other, rather they are an intri- approached by the families and asked with and knowledgeable about involv- cate part of the culture that makes America so great. This experience gave me a perspective basic questions about college applica- ing families and communities in their on another culture that I commonly critiqued tions and admissions, they better un- classroom. Participation in the CB-SEEP and allowed me to look at my own culture derstand the role they can play as is one step in this direction. A program and critique it.” teachers in informing all families about such as CB-SEEP, which has the poten- —Student participant, last reflective essay opportunities after high school. tial to reverse negative stereotypes and beliefs and increase relationships with In this program, teachers come face to Final thoughts Hispanic families and communities, face with their own biases and stereo- “I hope I am doing as much for them as they merits further evaluation. types about immigration and must ex- are doing for me.” amine them in order to prevent possi- —Student Participant, interview “Every time we have had the fortune of par- ble negative repercussions for their stu- ticipating in this program our family has had dents [7]. When teachers visit the fami- a beautiful experience. We learn a lot from

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 12 the students. This time especially the students service-learning programs for community- (Eds). Intercultural Experience and Education shared with us some of their goals, dreams, and enhanced language learning. A workshop co- (pp. 114-130). Tonawanda, NY: Multilingual wishes. They opened the doors of their heart to presented with AATSP Annual Conference, Matters. us since they entered our home, now their New York, NY. 7. Mitchell, S. (2010). Culturally relevant peda- home. Now we can say we have new members 3. Gonzales, N., Moll, L.C., & Amanti, C. (2005). gogy, as cited in E. Grassi and H. B. Barker in our family.” Funds of knowledge: Theorizing practices in (2010). Culturally and linguistically diverse ex- —Participating family households, communities, and classrooms. ceptional students: Strategies for teaching and Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. assessment. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Note 4. Hymes, D. (1972). Toward ethnographies of 1. The authors wish to thank Heidi Barker, Ph.D., communication: The analysis of communicative Elizabeth Grassi, Ph.D., is an associate Regis University, Colorado, for help with editing. events. In P. P. Giglioli (Ed.), Language and so- professor of education and chairperson; cial context (pp. 21-44). New York, NY: Penguin. References 5. Jurasek, R., Lamson, H., & O'Maley, P. (1996). and Obdulia Castro, Ph.D., is an associ- 1. Jorge, E. (2003, Fall). Outcomes for commu- Ethnographic learning while studying abroad. ate professor of Spanish at Regis Univer- nity partners in an unmediated service-learning Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study sity, Colorado. Corresponding author’s program. Michigan Journal of Community Ser- Abroad, 2, 17-34. e-mail: [email protected]. vice-Learning, 28-38. 6. Roberts, C. (2003). Ethnography and cultural 2. Jorge, E., López, S., & Raschio, R. (2005, July- practice: Ways of learning during residence August). The Latino connection: Designing abroad. In G. Alred, M. Byram, & M. Fleming

Collaborating in Heritage Language Development Ye He and Kathryn Prater

Introduction community context allows educators to developed as a university-school colla- With the growing linguistic and cul- consider HL development efforts as an boration with the aim of encouraging tural diversity of the U.S., there are alternative way to promote school- HL learners’ use of Spanish and English more and more students who speak a home connections. in reading and math, and to prepare home language other than English in them better for the End-of-Grade K-12 settings. For many of these stu- This project was supported by a 5-year (EOG) standardized test. ESL teachers dents their first language was “first in NPD grant that allowed the University consulted with the university teacher the order of acquisition but was not of North Carolina at Greensboro and a educators for the program curriculum, completely acquired because of the local school district to work together to conducted research into heritage lan- individual’s switch to another dominant develop an HL program for ELs who guage and bilingual development, and language” [1, p. 369)—their first lan- are Spanish HL learners in elementary invited teacher educators to conduct guage is a Heritage Language (HL). schools. In this article, we describe the observations and facilitate focus groups Researchers have noted that while first- process of teacher collaboration and with parents. The program started with generation immigrants tend to be able the impact of the HL program on the a focus on third-grade ELs with low to maintain their HL, second- and third- students, teachers, and parents in- proficiency in reading. Three bilingual generation immigrants tend to lose volved. (English/Spanish) ESL teachers worked their literacy skills in their HL and be- together to host the HL program on come English monolingual in the U.S Heritage Language Program Context Saturdays during the spring semester. [2]. The HL program was initiated three The positive outcome of the first two years ago in the Asheboro City Schools years’ implementation of the HL pro- It is important for educators to facilitate district in North Carolina, where teach- gram led to the expansion of the pro- learners’ HL development beyond en- ers received ESL PD from university fac- gram in 2011 to involve two elemen- couraging the use of HL at home, be- ulty. In this school district, among the tary schools. In addition to third grad- cause HL students’ academic success 1,499 students who speak a language ers, kindergartners and parents were can be supported by leveraging their other than English at home, 1,413 also involved. Over the last three years, home or first language (L1) in class- (94%) speak Spanish. A total of 899 a total of 80 students, including 70 room instruction [3,4], by building on students were identified as ELs. The third graders and 10 kindergartners, students’ funds of knowledge [5], and majority of them were second-genera- have participated in the HL program. by supporting the integral relationship tion immigrants born in the U.S. between learners’ L1 and cultural iden- While students practiced reading and tity development [6, 7]. Further, the Building upon the students’ HL back- math skills in both languages, the cur- close connection between students’ HL ground in Spanish and the ESL teach- riculum for parents focused on com- development, their family life, and their ers’ bilingualism, the HL program was puter literacy skills.

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 13

Heritage Language Program Effect they understand even though Eng- References In order to measure the effect of the lish is not their first language, they 1. Polinsky, M. & Kagan, O. (2007). Heri- HL program on students’ academic transfer that (reading in L1) into Eng- tage languages: In the ‘wild’ and in the achievement in English, we re- lish.” Describing how she works with classroom. Language and Linguistics viewed student EOG test scores. We her child at home on literacy activi- Compass, 1(5), 368-95. 2. Valdes, G. (2001). Heritage language also conducted interviews and focus ties, one mother stated, “Yo students: Profiles and possibilities. In J. K. group discussions with teachers and diciéndole el significado en español, Peyton, D. Ranard, & S. McGinnis (Eds.), parents. After completing the first- él sabe la palabra en inglés, él ya va Heritage languages in America: Pre- year HL program, 75% of the partici- a comprender mejor y … mejorá su serving a national resource (pp. 37-77). pating third graders met the EOG lectura. [By telling him the meaning Washington, DC: Center for Applied standards, compared to the district- in Spanish, he knows the word in Linguistics and Delta Systems. wide average of 40% of third-grade English (he is going to understand 3. Cook, V. (2001). Using the first lan- ELs who passed the EOG. All of the better) and improve his reading.]” guage in the classroom. Canadian participating students improved their Many parents expressed their appre- Modern Language Review, 57(3), 402– test scores. ciation of the bilingual language- 423. 4. Macaro, E. (2005). Code switching in development opportunity for their the L2 classroom: A communication While all teachers had predicted that children: “La verdad es que los niños and learning strategy. In E. Llurda (Ed.), the use of students’ first language están más ha más y más entusias- Non-native language teachers: Percep- would facilitate their English devel- mados porque…mi interés siempre tions, challenges and contributions to opment and allow them to perform ha sido que sean bilingües. [The the profession (pp. 63–84). New York, better on the EOG test, they later truth is that the children are more NY: Springer. reflected on the effect of the pro- enthusiastic because … my interest 5. Moll, L., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gon- gram beyond enhanced test scores. has been for them to be bilingual.]” zalez, N. (2001). Funds of knowledge Teachers mentioned students’ deep- for teaching: Professionals. In O. Kagan ened understanding of their first lan- Conclusion & B. Rifkin (Eds.), The learning and teaching of Slavic languages and cul- guage and culture, increased family Developing ELs’ Heritage Language tures (pp. 375–403). Bloomington, IN: involvement, and stronger school- is an important yet challenging task. Slavica. home connections as the main ef- Through collaborations among the 6. Coles-Ritchie, M. & Lugo, J. (2010). fects of the program. One teacher, university, schools, and families, we Implementing a Spanish for heritage for example, commented at the be- were able to sustain and expand the speakers course in an English-only state: ginning of the program, “I’ve noticed HL program and demonstrate its A collaborative critical teacher action that at the beginning [students] impact beyond student English-profi- research study. Educational Action Re- were maybe embarrassed to speak ciency development. The HL pro- search, 18(2), 197-212. Spanish at home, or they didn’t want gram highlighted the linguistic capi- 7. Lo-Philip, S. W. (2010). Towards a to say that they speak Spanish at tal of students and their parents and theoretical framework of heritage language literacy and identity processes. home.” After the HL program, par- addressed community needs. Stu- Linguistics and Education, 21, 282-297. ents reported that their children dents’ appreciation of their HL, par- were more motivated to read Span- ents’ enhanced understanding of ish at home, “Le gusta más para po- bilingual development, and in- Ye He, Ph.D., is an assistant professor der o sea … se motivó más a leer más creased bilingual literacy practices at at the University of North Carolina at español para saber qué es lo que home all speak to the potential of Greensboro in Greensboro, NC. dice en ingles. [He likes it more, so programs such as HL to engage HL E-mail: [email protected]. he can … that is, he is motivated to learners’ parents in teaching and Kathryn Prater, Ph.D., is an assistant read more Spanish so he would learning and to serve students from professor at Southwestern University know what it says in English.]” diverse cultural and linguistic back- in Georgetown, TX. E-mail: grounds. Building upon the success [email protected]. As a result of the HL program, teach- of the HL program, we hope to in- ers reported that parents of both spire more collaborations among kindergarten and third-grade stu- teachers, families, and communities dents started to work on literacy ac- that will facilitate ELs’ academic de- tivities and read Spanish at home velopment by highlighting their with their children because “[n]ow strengths, assets, and heritage.

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 14 Title III Native American and Alaska Native Children in School Program Trini Torres Carrion

The Title III Native American and Alaska schools serving primarily NA/AN chil- port on GPRA; however, projects will Native Children in School (NAM) pro- dren are eligible to apply if the school develop their own assessments to gram, authorized under Title III of the is tribally sanctioned, is operated under measure students’ proficiency levels ESEA of 1965, as amended, assists a contract from the BIE, or has secured in English and reading. American Indian and Alaska Native a grant or funds from the BIE, such as English learners in attaining ELP and a grant under the Johnson O’Malley GPRA data also are used to design the meeting the same challenging State Act. NAM program technical assistance academic content and student aca- plan, which helps grantees address demic achievement standards that all Under section 9501 of the ESEA, Par- programmatic issues and detect exem- students are expected to meet. The ticipation by Private School Children plary projects. program may support the teaching and Teachers, an entity that receives a and study of Native American or grant under the NAM program must Selection Criteria and Priorities Alaska Native languages, but must provide for the equitable participation NAM is a competitive, discretionary have, as a project objective, an in- of private school children and their grant. Peer reviewers of the applica- crease in ELP for participating students. teachers or other educational person- tions are experts in English language nel. programs for ELs, Indian Education, Eligible Applicants professional development, parental The following entities, when they oper- Performance Measures involvement activities, and other areas ate elementary, secondary, and post- Under the Government Performance such as early childhood and higher secondary schools primarily for NA and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), Fed- education programs. These experts children (including Alaska Native chil- eral departments and agencies must judge how well the applicants respond dren), are eligible applicants under this clearly describe the goals and objec- to published selection criteria related to program: tives of funded programs, identify re- program design, quality of key person-  Indian tribes, tribally sanctioned edu- sources and actions needed to accom- nel, management plan, and evaluation. cational authorities; plish goals and objectives, develop a The selection criteria for this program  Native Hawaiian or Native American means of measuring progress made, are from 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR. Pacific Islander native language edu- and regularly report on achievement. For fiscal year (FY) 2011, the Admini- cational organizations; The project evaluation conducted un- stration requested $5,000,000 in new  Elementary schools or secondary der individual grants measures suc- awards for the NAM grant competi- 1 schools that are operated or funded cesses and identifies lessons learned. tion. The invitational notice included by the Department of the Interior/ ED has developed the following GPRA three competitive preference priorities Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), or performance measures, which are and two invitational priorities. Under a consortium of such schools; based on the Title III annual measur- this competition NAM invited appli-  Elementary schools or secondary able achievement objectives (AMAOs), cants to address the following com- schools operated under a contract for evaluating the overall effectiveness petitive preference and invitational pri- with or grant from the BIE in consor- of the NAM program: orities. tium with another such school or a  The percentage of ELs served by the tribal or community organization; program who score proficient or Competitive Preference Priority 1— and above on the state reading assess- Novice Applicants  Elementary schools or secondary ment; To meet this priority, an applicant must schools operated by the BIE and an  The percentage of ELs served by the be a novice applicant, as defined in 34 IHE in consortium with an elemen- program who are making progress CFR 75.225. tary school or secondary school op- in learning English as measured by erated under a contract with or a the state-approved ELP assessment; Competitive Preference Priority 2— grant from the BIE or a tribal or com-  The percentage of ELs served by the Increasing Postsecondary Success munity organization. program who are attaining profi- To increase the number and propor- ciency in English as measured by the tion of high-need students who are Charter schools meeting the eligibility state-approved ELP assessment; and academically prepared for and enroll in requirement are eligible to apply for a  Programs serving only postsecond- college or other postsecondary educa- grant under the NAM program. Public ary students are not required to re- tion and training.

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 15

Competitive Preference Priority 3— ready by graduation, who have left Special activities proposed by these pro- Enabling More Data-Based Decision- school or college before receiving, re- jects include heritage language and Making spectively, a regular high school di- culture-based curriculum development, To collect (or obtain), analyze, and use ploma or a college degree or certifi- alignment of native language and cul- high-quality and timely data, including cate, who are at risk of not graduating ture with the districts’ literacy programs, data on program participant outcomes, with a diploma on time, who are research-based literacy model pro- in accordance with privacy require- homeless, who are in foster care, who grams, community-based literacy in- ments in one or more of the following are pregnant or parenting teenagers, struction, summer camps for families, priority areas: who have been incarcerated, who are PD leading to Bilingual-ESL teacher  Improving postsecondary student new immigrants, who are migrant, or certification, parent education college outcomes relating to enrollment, per- who have disabilities. programs and improved parent prac- sistence, and completion and leading tices, and cultural sensitivity training for to career success and Invitational Priority 2—Supporting Na- all teachers.  Improving instructional practices, poli- tive American Language Instruction cies, and student outcomes in ele- To support the teaching and study of Projects use technology as a tool for PD 2 mentary or secondary school. Native American languages. through video conferencing, distance delivery software training, online col- Privacy requirements refers to the re- NAM did not give an application that lege level courses, and the design of quirements of the Family Educational met these invitational priorities a com- program websites. Projects address PD Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 petitive preference over other applica- through a variety of approaches includ- U.S.C. 1232g, and its implementing tions. ing Sheltered Instruction Observation regulations in 34 CFR part 99, the Pri- Protocol (SIOP), professional learning vacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a, as well as all Review communities, and teachers’ resource applicable federal, state, and local re- A total of 24 applications were received centers. quirements regarding privacy. by the closing date (March 21, 2011); 1 application was ineligible and 1 was a Some programs support early learners Under Competitive Preference Priority 1 duplicate. and facilitate the early detection of de- the NAM program awarded 5 points to velopmental delays and health issues, applicants that met the definition of ED convened six G5-Reader peer re- while others include student interven- Novice Applicant as defined in the no- view panels from April 18 through April tion strategies to prepare former drop- tice, and up to 3 points each for Com- 27, 2011.3 Each application was inde- outs for college. petitive Preference Priorities 2 and 3, pendently read and rated by two peer depending on how well the applica- reviewers who then compared their This is the first cohort of grants to in- tion met each priority. The program scores and comments, considering any clude postsecondary institutions. Ele- added competitive preference priority information they might have over- ments of projects targeting newly points for Priorities 2 and 3 only to ap- looked or misinterpreted. Following the graduated seniors, ELs entering col- plications that scored 75 or higher. discussion, reviewers could change lege, and students who have previ- their scores. Reviewers were not re- ously dropped out of college may in- Invitational Priority 1—Parental Involve- quired to come to a consensus on the clude outreach/recruitment, a bridge ment to Improve School Readiness and scoring of any application. All scores program for high school graduates Success were entered into the ED’s G5 system entering college, computer-assisted To provide parental involvement activi- and verified, and a rank-order list was instruction in English language acquisi- ties to improve school readiness and generated. tion, tutorial services, and early identifi- success for high-need children and cation of students’ needs. high-need students from birth through Of the 22 applications read, 13 scored third grade through a focus on lan- between 86 and 105 and 8 scored Tribal college partners will encourage guage and literacy development. between 13 and 73. The cut-off score parent and family involvement in the was 75. The awards ranged in size program by coordinating family events High-need children and high-need from $177,945 to $299,996 per year. and workshops to discuss how they students means children and students The total awarded for the 13 new can help students succeed in college. at risk of educational failure, such as grants was $2,752,654. A total of 3,090 Since 100% of new NAM-funded pro- children and students who are living in NA/AN ELs will be served by these jects are located in rural areas, the use poverty, who are ELs, who are far be- new grants. Table 1, based on NAM of technology is fundamental to these low grade level, or who are not on application abstracts, shows the 13 projects. track to becoming college- or career- new funded projects in rank order.4

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 16

To learn more about NAM-funded pro- Native Americans, consistent with section 103 Trini Torres Carrion is an education jects and future funding opportunities, of the Native American Languages Act (25 program specialist and program man- visit http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/ U.S.C. 2902). 3. G5 means the Department of Education's ager for the Native American and grants/nam/. Grants Management system. G5 replaces the Alaska Native Children in School pro- former e-Grants, Grant Administration, and gram in the Office of English Lan- Notes Payment systems. 1. Notice inviting applications for new awards guage Acquisition, U.S. Department 4. The NAM 2011 funded projects have been of Education. E-mail: Trinidad.Torres- for fiscal year (FY) 2011, published by the Fed- posted at http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/ eral Register/Vol. 76. No. 12/ Wednesday, content/35_naancspgrantees as a courtesy to [email protected]. January 19, 2011/Notices. the public. 2. The term Native American language means the historical, traditional languages spoken by

Table 1. Newly Funded NAP Projects

Native Total ELs Grantee State Type of School Language Grade Served Served

Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc.– Independent AK Education System Services School District N/A Birth-12 150 (ISD)

Rocky Boy School MT ISD Cree 1-12 122

Turtle Mountain Community College – ND Academics Tribal College N/A 13-16 65

Isleta Elementary School NM BIE Tiwa K-8 86 Tribal College of Menominee Nation WI College N/A 12-16 240

North Slope Borough School District AK ISD Iñupiaq 9-12 65

Missouri River Educational Cooperative ND ISD N/A K-12 652

Shannon County School District SD ISD Lakota K-8 250

Mescalero Apache Tribe—Apache Bilin- NM gual/Cultural Program BIE Apache K-12 590 Tribal Chief Leschi Schools, Inc. WA School N/A 4-12 215

Grand View School OK ISD Cherokee Birth-8 146 Tlingit and Goldbelt Heritage Foundation AK ISD Lingit 6-8 244

Kuspuk School District AK ISD Yup’ik PreK-12 245 Grand Total 3,090

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 17 From Cradleboard to Career: P-16 Initiatives for Native American Education Mari B. Rasmussen and Natalia Romanova

Many states are proposing policies that wise, high school students need a cur-  financial support (e.g., scholarships support an aligned educational system riculum that prepares them for postsec- and fellowships, financial counsel- from preschool to adulthood. These P- ondary success. ing sessions), and 16 initiatives, which involve coordina-  opportunities to maintain active tion between educators at all levels [1], An aligned elementary and secondary connections to home communities, have a number of goals including educational system that leads to post- to retain a strong cultural identity, greater academic success for students secondary success also can incorporate and to participate in cultural cere- who have historically underachieved language and culture successfully, ac- monies (e.g., at American Indian [2]. A coordinated educational system cording to researchers. The close in- student centers), resources for child from preschool to postsecondary edu- volvement of parents and community and family care (especially for single cation can benefit the Native American members is necessary. This level is also parents); community in the same way it benefits unique in that elementary and secon-  Student motivation, including other students. Researchers have cited dary education is more regulated than  belief in the impact of their educa- the need for a culturally based curricu- the other systems. Students are required tion on their future, the future of lum [3; 4; 5], Native language revitaliza- to attend school and must meet state their families, and tribal communi- tion, and community involvement in standards in academic content and ties, order to create a successful educational achievement.  family support for education, and system. An aligned NA educational sys-  student connection to the school. tem consistent with P-16 initiatives that Successful models demonstrate that also incorporates culture, language, and Native language and culture can be The findings of such research support community involvement can be a incorporated into the mainstream cur- the following practices. First, the schools strong foundation for students. Follow- riculum. Native students can maintain that serve Native students can improve ing are resources and research recom- close ties with community values and the quality of secondary education by mendations to support the implementa- traditions and also meet state goals for offering advanced courses and encour- tion of P-16 initiatives in an NA context. academic achievement. For more infor- aging NA students to enroll in them to mation on successful program models prepare for college. Second, colleges Successful Preschool Initiatives and for K-12 see the NCELA report [7]. can increase the amount and visibility of Resources support tailored for NA students, includ- Young NA students benefit from an Postsecondary Initiatives and Resources ing academic, financial, language, cul- educational program that is closely con- Studies of successful NA college stu- tural, and family resources. Third, col- nected with family. The most successful dents suggest that the following factors leges can motivate their NA students by preschool curricula are child-centered affect NA students' ability and/or desire (1) making them aware of the effect and based on traditional ways of learn- to persist in college (for a full review and their education can have on their fu- ing [6]. Alignment with the next level of a list of studies, see the NCELA report ture, the future of their families, and education primarily involves communi- [7]): tribal communities; (2) making their cation between preschool and K–12  Pre-college academic preparation, families aware of the impact their high educational personnel, the sharing of including skills necessary for successful expectations, moral support, and en- student data, and the coordination of transition to, and achievement in, col- couragement can have on the probabil- curricula. lege; ity of a college student persisting to  On-campus support, such as graduation; and (3) encouraging them Successful Elementary and Secondary  academic, summer-bridge, orienta- to seek connections with their school Educational Programs and Strategies tion, and retention programs specifi- through campus organizations and The elementary and secondary educa- cally tailored to meet the needs of other collaborations with fellow stu- tional system receives students from NA students, dents and faculty outside of the class- preschool programs and prepares them  coursework on the Native language room. for postsecondary experiences. These and culture, along with including students particularly benefit from a sys- NA cultural perspectives in all By addressing these factors, institutions tem that is coordinated and aligned. courses, can create environments that support Kindergarten and first-grade students  supportive and involved faculty, their NA students’ perseverance and benefit from systems that are coordi- successful matriculation. nated with preschool experiences. Like-

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 18

Summary www.ecs.org/html/IssueSection.asp? 6. Romero-Little, M. E. (2010). How should An aligned P -16 educational system for issueid=76&s=Selected+Research+% young indigenous children be prepared for Native American children involves the 26+Readings learning? A vision of early childhood educa- 2. California P–16 Council (2008). Closing the tion for indigenous children, Journal of participation of community, tribal, state, achievement gap: Report of Superintendent American Indian Education, 49(1), 7–28. and educational leaders. Though the Jack O’Connell’s P–16 Task Force. Sacra- 7. National Clearinghouse for English Lan- concept of an aligned educational sys- mento, CA: California Department of Educa- guage Acquisition and Language Instruction tem for early childhood to adulthood is tion. Retrieved from http://www.cde.ca.gov/ Educational Programs (NCELA). (2011). Post- considered a current topic of discussion eo/in/pc/documents/yr08ctagrpt0122.pdf secondary success for Native American stu- in the field of education, it is consistent 3. Demmert, Jr., W. G. & Towner, J. C. (2003). dents: A brief summary of research, pro- A review of the research literature on the grams, and practices. (Short turnaround re- with many Native American values that influences of culturally based education on port #ED0094‐2011‐2) Washington, DC: proceed from a holistic way of viewing the academic performance of Native Ameri- Author. Available at: http:// the world and stages of life as intercon- can students. Portland, OR: Northwest Re- www.ncela.gwu.edu/files/uploads/7/ nected. Traditionally, education was a gional Educational Laboratory. Post_Secondary_Success_NAm.pdf lifelong activity that began at birth and 4. Reinhardt, M., Lea Go Forth, A., Pohaw- continued to old age. Developing coor- patchoko, C., & Skunkcap, D. (2008). A de- Mari B. Rasmussen, Ph.D., is an associ- scriptive account of the best practices in dinated P-16 educational systems builds American Indian education on-line seminar ate director of the National Clearing- on past traditions and prepares Native pilot project. Boulder, CO: The Tribal Educa- house for English Language Acquisition students to be successful in tomorrow’s tion Departments National Assembly. Re- (NCELA). E-mail: [email protected]. world. trieved from http://www.tedna.org/articles/ Natalia Romanova is a research scien- descriptive_account.pdf tist and the quarterly review coordina- 5. Swisher, K. G. & Tippeconnic, J. W. (Eds.). References tor at the NCELA. 1. Education Commission of the States, (2011). (2001). Next steps: Research and practice to P-16 selected research and readings. Denver, advance Indian education. Charleston, WV: E-mail: [email protected]. CO: Author. Retrieved from http:// ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools.

Tlingit Language and Culture: Summer in Alaska

In the summer of 2011 the Goldbelt Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit established in 2007 to support Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimpshian languages and cultures, sponsored the following events through the support of an Administration for Native Americans language grant.

1. Elders, fluent Tlingit speakers, language teachers, and learners gathered in Juneau to work towards Tlingit language revi- talization. During the workshop Honoring Our Ancestors, Teaching Our Language, teachers had an opportunity not only to share and refine the Tlingit language lessons that they had created after working with elders during the year, but also to pilot them with elementary- and middle-school children attending the Central Council Tlingit Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska culture camp hosted at the same time as the workshop. In Figure 1, a language instructor pilots her new lesson as elders and fluent speakers observe in order to give the instructor feedback after the lesson.

Figure 1. Piloting a lesson during the Honoring Our Ancestors, Teaching Our Language workshop.

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 19

2. High-school students spent ten days immersed in Tlingit traditional knowledge and culture through a math and science camp, 2011 Path to Excellence Academy Aan yátx’u sáani deiyí (Noble Peoples’ Path). Elders, traditional knowledge bearers, hunters, fishers, gatherers, Juneau School District teachers, and University of Alaska Southeast professors led the students through activities that explored the depth of knowledge found in Tlingit stories and in Tlingit place-names. Students delved into oral narratives and migration histories and learned about traditional Tlingit ecological knowledge while examining ways of integrating traditional knowledge with western science. The photo (Figure 2) was taken during a catamaran trip to Taku inlet, the ancestral land of the Taku Kwaan people.

Figure 2. A catamaran trip to Taku inlet, 2011 Path to Excellence Academy

3. Twenty middle-school students attended the first middle school summer day camp Aan Datchxanx’i yan Deiyí (Noble Grandchildren’s Path). They participated in Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian language activities, learned about Native plants and gardening, observed a seal biopsy, and prepared salmon using traditional ecological knowledge. Students also had the opportunity to make a koogeenaa (sash) and a deer hoof rattle. The photo (Figure 3) was taken in the Thunderbird clan house in Klukwan, Alaska.

Figure 3. Participants of the first middle school summer day camp Aan Datchxanx’i yan Deiyí

Learn more about the Goldbelt Heritage Foundation at http://www.goldbeltheritage.org/.

Submitted by y Dionne Cadiente-Laiti, Executive Director, Goldbelt Heritage Foundation. E-mail: [email protected].

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 20 Facts and Figures—Native American and Alaska Native Children Judith Wilde

According to the 2009 American Commu- ers of "other Native American languages." languages most commonly spoken by EL nity Survey[1], there are approximately students (i.e., Yup’ik—Alaska, Ojibwa— 307,006,566 people living in the U.S. Of Within the annual Consolidated State Per- North Dakota, "North American Indian"— these, about 2,457,552 are Native Ameri- formance Reports (CSPRs), states report Montana [in 2007-08, Montana reported can or Alaska Native. Table 1 disaggre- the five home languages most frequently about the same number of students as gates this information by tribe, while Fig- spoken by EL students. Because only five being Blackfoot speakers], and Dakota— ure 1 shows the percentage of Native languages are reported per state, nearly all South Dakota). Americans and Alaska Natives who live in languages are undercounted, but the  One state (Hawai’i) reported that Iloko each of the states, the District of Columbia, data still are useful. For the year 2008-09 was the language most commonly spo- and Puerto Rico. the CSPR collected the following data.1 ken by EL students.  Of the 14 American Indian/Alaska Na-  Spanish was the most frequently re-

The American Community Survey also tive/Pacific Island-entity native languages ported language in 42 states and the estimated that a total of 371,277 individu- spoken by 27,000 K-12 EL students, the District of Columbia. als in the U.S. speak a "Native American most frequently reported was Navajo  Two states reported relatively new language." [2] Of these, 46 percent speak (11,032 EL students). languages to the U.S. as being the most Navajo, with the rest categorized as speak-  In four states, native languages were the commonly spoken by EL students: So- mali (Maine) and Bosnian (Vermont). Table 1. Native American and Alaska Native Populations  States report the number of subgrantees (usually individual school districts) that Tribal Entity Population Tribal Entity Population use each of 10 specific language instructional educational programs (LIEPs). Five Total 2,457,552 of these focus on English language de- American Indian tribes, specified: 1,947,798 velopment while five focus on English Apache 68,240 Menominee 7,536 and another language. Blackfeet 25,945 Navajo 307,559  A total of 16 different Native American Cherokee 247,768 Osage 8,131 languages (plus non-specified "North Cheyenne 9,490 Ottawa 6,719 American Indian" language[s]) are used in LIEPs that are designed to develop Chickasaw 23,059 Paiute 10,363 some level of fluency in English and Chippewa 112,636 Pima 23,637 another language. Choctaw 80,014 Potawatomi 17,914  These languages include Arapahoe, Colville 6,663 Pueblo 69,642 Cree, Cherokee, Crow, Dakota/Lakota, Comanche 10,333 Puget Sound Salish 13,920 Hidatsa, Kootenai, "Native American," Cree 1,379 Seminole 13,997 Navajo, Ojibwa, Passamaquoddy, Salish, Creek 35,136 Shoshone 10,445 Shoshone, Tewa, Tiwa, Towa, and Ute. Crow 11,002 Sioux 123,834 Delaware 8,532 Tohono O'Odham 19,802 In 2009, NAEP conducted a National In- dian Education Study that surveyed stu- Houma 8,037 Ute 9,790 dents in grades 4 and 8, and assessed

Iroquois 49,179 Yakama 7,874 their math and reading skills with the Kiowa 9,671 Yaqui 21,234 "main" NAEP assessment [3]. NAEP tested Lumbee 63,281 Yuman 7,756 NA/AN students in grades 4 and 8 from Other American Indian Tribe 497,280 across the country and from 12 states with American Indian tribes, not specified 51,151 relatively large proportions of NA/AN stu- 2 Alaska Native tribes, specified: 99,998 dents. About 5,100 NA/AN students in Alaskan 4th grade were involved and 4,200 NA/ 14,398 Eskimo 53,680 Athabascan AN students in 8th grade were involved. Although this is a small sample, NAEP did Aleut 10,576 Tlingit-Haida 16,736 provide the description in Table 2. Other Alaska Native Tribe 4,608 Alaska Native tribes, not specified 8,765 American Indian tribes or Alaska Native tribes, not specified 349,840

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 21

Scale scores on the reading and mathematics assessments for these students may range from 0-500 (Figure 2). There were no significant changes in the overall average reading scores for NA/ AN 4th grades during the last three Legend administrations of the assessment (2005, 2007, and 2009). The overall average reading score for NA/AN 8th graders was significantly higher in 2009 than in 2007. Fourth grade students' scores tended to be in the "below basic" range of proficiency while 8th grade students' scores tended to be in the "basic" range of proficiency. When dis- aggregating these data for English- language fluency, NA/AN EL students' scores were significantly lower than those of their English fluent NA/AN grade peers. Figure 1. Percentage of State Populations that are Native American or Alaska Native Notes 1. The 2008-09 Consolidated State Perform- ance Reports for each state are available at Table 2. Demographic description of NA/AN students who participated in http://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/ the 2009 NAEP tests account/consolidated/sy08-09part1/ 4th grade 8th grade index.html 2. AL, AZ, MN, MT, NM, NC, ND, OK, OR, SD, Descriptor students students UT, and WA. Attend rural schools 46% 49% Have been identified as EL 8% 6% References 1. U..S. Census Bureau (2010). 2009 Ameri- Have been identified with disabilities 12% 14% can Community Survey 1-Year Estimates. American FactFinder Tables are available at Are eligible for free/reduced-price lunch 67% 59% http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/ main.html?_lang=en Have more then 25 books in their homes 55% 57% 2. U..S. Census Bureau (2010, April). Lan- guage use in the United States: 2007. Have a computer in the home 78% 82% (American Community Survey Reports.) Were not absent during the school year 43% 25% Washington, DC: US Department of Com- merce, Economics and Statistics Administra- tion. 3. U..S. Department of Education, Institute of Figure 2. NA/AN students' scores on NAEP assessment Education Sciences, National Center of Edu- (Data are for all NA/AN students) cation Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), National In- dian education study. The report is available at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/ 500 nies/ 400 4th gr math Judith Wilde, Ph.D., is the executive 300 4th gr rdg director of the National Clearing- 200 8th gr math house for English Language Acquisi- tion. E-mail: [email protected]. 100 8th gr rdg 0 2005 2007 2009

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 22 Voices of Native Educators: Strategies That Support the Success of Native American High-School Students Julia Lara

NA students drop out of school at an gress (AYP) achievement standards in that is used to determine placement alarmingly high rate [1], but strategies mathematics and language arts and at the preschool and kindergarten exist to keep them in school and sup- was recognized by the Southern Re- levels. Similar assessment and instruc- port their academic excellence. In 2010, gional Education Board as winner of tional efforts have been initiated in the National Indian Education Associa- its Golden Award, despite the chal- Alaska, Hawai’i, and in Minnesota’s tion and the National Education Asso- lenging circumstances of the high- Ojibwa tribe. ciation convened a meeting of teachers, poverty communities in which these  The Lewis and Clark State College’s students, administrators, community students lived. American Indian Student Leaders of members, and researchers in Washing- Excellence (AISLE) project in Idaho, a ton, DC, to discuss the related issues, STRATEGY: Present a curriculum and a teacher-training program, provides taking into special account the perspec- teaching staff informed by Native lan- financial and academic support to tives of Native American educators from guage and culture through legislation, Native students interested in careers various tribes in the continental United standards and assessments, incentive in education. States, Alaska, and Hawai’i. The partici- programs, and PD opportunities.  Hawai’i has developed a three-part pants’ discussion of key strategies for POLICY PRIORITY: Deepen culturally process for determining the ability of a addressing the needs of NA students based education (CBE) through legisla- teacher candidate to work with Na- was organized around the policy priori- tive mandate, professional develop- tive Hawaiian students, including fa- ties of the Campaign for High School ment, and appropriate curricula. miliarity with Native Hawaiian culture, Equity [2]. Below are the strategies that BEST PRACTICES as evidenced by suc- the writing of an essay in which the emerged at the meeting, accompanied cessful programs include the following. candidate discusses his or her under- by relevant policy priorities and some  Educators in the state of Alaska were standing of CBE, and the inclusion of specific best practices—all of which were among the first to use a CBE ap- community elders in the candidate’s detailed in a full report [3]. proach to developing standards interview. grounded in Native ways of knowing STRATEGY: Provide extended learning and believing. These standards have STRATEGY: Develop high-quality data- opportunities. served as a model for other communi- collection systems and publish data on POLICY PRIORITY: Prepare students for ties in the states of Hawai’i, Montana, school district performance. college and work. Oklahoma, and Washington. POLICY PRIORITY: Hold schools account- BEST PRACTICES as evidenced by suc-  New York’s St. Regis Mohawk tribe able for student success. cessful programs include the following. starts its teacher training with a tour of BEST PRACTICES as evidenced by suc-  Dual-credit enrollment and advanced- the reservation and an introduction to cessful programs include the following. placement programs were used suc- the pronunciation of Mohawk names.  The use of data teams allowed the cessfully by the Center for Native Edu-  Montana’s “Indian Education for All” staff of the Tate Topa Tribal Schools in cation in Seattle, Washington, with legislation mandates the teaching of North Dakota to make significant high school students in seven states. the history and culture of the tribes in gains, improving their federal Title I School reports demonstrate that stu- the state. school-improvement classification. dents who participate in dual-  In a school in New Mexico, the leader-  The Wellness Center at Coeur enrollment programs have a greater ship introduces new teachers to the d’Alene, Idaho, has a longitudinal chance (75%) of enrolling in college culture and language of the Indian data system that tracks students from than those who do not participate. community. For example, a retired kindergarten through adulthood. If  At Cleveland High School in Portland, math teacher developed a lesson on students drop out, they are monitored Oregon, Native students visit Interna- the Anasazi tribe’s use of mathemat- to ensure that they complete their tional Baccalaureate (IB) English ics. GEDs. classes, and familiarity leads to in-  By teaching content in the Navajo creased enrollment. language, the Navajos in Arizona STRATEGY: Involve parents and commu-  Plummer Worley HS in Idaho, the first have raised student achievement in nity members in the education of Native Native high school to implement the the content areas and in the Navajo students and provide multi-agency sup- High School that Works (HSTW) language. They have developed a ports for students. model, met the Adequate Yearly Pro- Navajo language fluency assessment

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 23 POLICY PRIORITY: Invest communities in  In Alaska, rather than applying the References student success and design the high suspension-expulsion policy in ways 1. Faircloth, S.C. & Tippeconnic, III, J.W. school to fit community needs. that place the student further behind, (2010). The dropout/graduation rate crisis BEST PRACTICES as evidenced by suc- educators help place suspended stu- among American Indian and Alaska Native cessful programs include the following. students: Failure to respond places the fu- dents in community service projects. ture of Native Peoples at risk. Los Angeles,  The Wellpinit District, Idaho, has de-  The White Mountain and San Carlos CA: The Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Dere- veloped a parent contract that obli- Apache tribes in Arizona, in partner- chos Civiles at UCLA; gates parents to attend parent- ship with community leaders, have www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu teacher conferences or volunteer at developed innovative ways of imple- 2. Campaign for High School Equity (2011). school for 20-30 hours per month. menting truancy codes, such as visit- Plan for success: Communities of color de-  The Lapwai School District in Idaho ing the student’s home to talk with fine policy priorities for high school success. invites the staff of the Tribal Educa- the family about the long-term detri- Retrieved from http:// tion Department (or TED; TEDs are mental effects of truancy. www.highschoolequity.org/policy/policy- the equivalent of state education priorities/#fbid=dxc-XpXevmQ  In Alaska and Idaho, schools are re- 3. Lara, J. & Hartford, S. (2010). Voices of agencies) to join hiring panels for key structuring their calendars to accom- Native educators: Strategies that support leadership positions, to support the modate families during salmon run- success of Native high school students. development of district-wide cultur- ning or whaling season. National Education Association Office of ally based curricula, and to partici- Minority Community Outreach: Washing- pate in the training of teachers. Clearly, numerous strategies exist to ton, DC.  The Coeur d’Alene Tribe and leaders support the success of students in NA of other tribal nations have devel- communities. Hopefully, educators in Julia Lara, Ph.D., is president of JLara oped a strong relationship with six Indian country and beyond will find Educational Consulting, LLC, Washing- universities and colleges, where they these examples useful as they work to ton, D.C. serve on advisory committees and ensure that all NA students can persist E-mail: [email protected] . meet with the president and provost in school and excel. of each institution twice a year to discuss issues of mutual interest.

Becoming Jemez

The project Becoming Jemez: The Early Childhood of Jemez Children is a partnership between the Pueblo of Jemez and Ari- zona State University, funded by the American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Research Center and the Health Sciences Cen- ter, both at the University of Colorado-Denver. The project applied a research method called PhotoVoice, in which participants— eight parents of Walatowa Head Start children—used digital cameras to tell their stories and to document what Jemez people believe the young children of Jemez Pueblo (also called Walatowa), New Mexico, should learn and how best to teach them.

Each of the 27 participants created a poster featuring a photograph accompanied by his or her written narrative (or "voice") explaining the photograph’s significance. Each poster represents the dynamic sociocultural context in which Jemez's young- est members—the majority of whom learn the native language, Towa, in childhood— begin their linguistic, social, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual development. Guided by multifaceted oral traditions, children learn through peripheral and active participation, engaged observation and listening, guided and independent practice, trial and error, and direct and indirect instruction. This provides the foundation for Jemez children’s future learning in their homes and community and later in school—including their learning of English language and literacy.

The early experiences of the majority of Jemez children entering the Walatowa Head Start Program, which arise in the context of the Towa language and oral traditions, differ greatly from those of children from the native-English mainstream. The school should recognize these differences as different approaches to learning rather than deficiencies. The information gathered from this Photovoice Project will be used to develop an age‐appropriate Towa language Head Start curriculum that values and supports the rich linguistic and cognitive resources of Jemez children.

Note Special appreciation is hereby given to the Jemez Pueblo Tribal Council, the Walatowa Head Start, the Jemez Language Team, the Jemez Department of Education and the Jemez Photovoice participants.

By Mary Eunice Romero‐Little, Ph.D., an associate professor and “Becoming Jemez” project principal investigator, Arizona State University. E-mail: [email protected].

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu 24

There’s No Writing Like Grant Writing Joseph G. Tillman

Grantmaking, like producing a Broadway why not? A challenge may require creativity (due to paid overtime) and decrease profits. show, is not for the fainthearted. Successful and innovation, but a challenge should never Page limits are not suggestions and the pro- grantmakers—like producers—are made, not be summarily dismissed for lack of will. posal likely will be rejected if you exceed those born, and those at the top of their game 9. Maintains Momentum. The most serious limits. arrived there because they learned from challenge facing the grantmaker is when the 8. Backwards Design. A playwright often con- past failures. Grant writing, unlike play writ- process slows and attention to detail wanes. siders how the story will end even before the ing, requires the skills of a technical writer, so The grantmaker must be a cheerleader, fire- writing begins. The last section of a grant pro- creative writers need not apply. This article fighter, and energizer from start to finish. Slow posal is often the evaluation plan and a poorly and steady may win the race, but the race written plan clearly indicates to a grant reader proffers the ten essential characteristics of a often is won during the mad dash to the finish that this section is an afterthought rather than successful grantmaker and the eight essen- line. the first thought. An award often is won or lost tial features of an award-winning grant. 10. Sets It Free. There is a point in the grant- based on the points given to the final section making process known as the due date. Once of the proposal. Remember, this is the last sec- Characteristics of a Successful Grantmaker the proposal is frozen, it is time to set it free tion to be read and, like a play or musical, will 1. Articulates a Clear Vision. Like a producer, and let the next stage in the process begin. leave the reader/audience singing the praises the grantmaker has a clear idea of how the Those who will read your grant proposal are of the proposal/production or leave them grant may potentially transform existing pro- wildly unpredictable and enjoy considerable bewildered and silent. grams and practices. Is it new and innovative power in determining whether or not the or is it a revival or reinterpretation of a past grant proposal is successful. Grantmaking is at its best when it is collabo- grant/show with a proven track record? rative, and like producing an award-winning 2. Sets the Criteria for Success. The grantmaker Features of an Award-Winning Grant play or musical, benefits from the vision and identifies clear and measurable benchmarks 1. Adhere to the Request for Proposals (RFP). It leadership of a skilled grantmaker. It is never and indicators that will ensure that the pro- is imperative to understand that the RFP will too early to begin writing your award- posal is submitted on time after having gone not bend to your will and that ALL selection winning grant, so as they say in the theater through a thorough revision process. criteria must be painstakingly addressed. A 3. Assembles the Team. The grantmaker un- … Let’s go on with the show! script may welcome an actor’s interpretation, derstands that this endeavor requires a team of but an RFP never invites you to go off script. production-specific experts, each of whom Joseph G. Tillman, Ph.D., is an education 2. Tell YOUR Story. A well-written grant pro- entrepreneur, TESOL teacher educator, contributes a part to the success of the whole. posal, like a script, tells a story (your story) and 4. Prioritizes the Plan. The grantmaker has a the narrative has a clear beginning and grant writer living in New York City. plan for the work that needs to be done and (demonstration of need), middle (project de- Email: [email protected]. understands the scope of the work in terms of sign and resource allocation), and end the time required for preparation, writing, and (evaluation plan). review. The plan must have enough built-in 3. Clear and Measurable. Sometimes a story flexibility to accommodate the unexpected and The National Clearinghouse for English Lan- with several sub-plots is just a story with several guage Acquisition and Language Instruction allow for course corrections. sub-plots. Weaving those sub-plots together 5. Asks the Difficult Questions The grantmaker Educational Programs (NCELA) is funded by may transform a mediocre story into a master- the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of does not hesitate to ask the question and is piece. In the proposal, a limited number of English Language Acquisition, Language En- prepared for the implication in the answer. goals, with associated objectives and perform- hancement and Academic Achievement for 6. Knows When to Say No. Team members ance indicators, should be seamlessly woven Limited English Proficient Students (OELA) and and other stakeholders will express and at- together and produce measurable outcomes. is operated under contract No. ED-04-CO- tempt to justify their list of wants and needs, 4. Speak with One Voice. Several members of 0094 by The George Washington University, but it is up to the grantmaker to discern the Graduate School of Education and Human the team may contribute different sections of Development. The contents of this publication required from the desired. The plan is tied di- the proposal so it behooves you, as a good rectly to a budget that must provide the basis do not necessarily reflect the views or policies editor, to ensure that the proposal has a clear, of the U.S. Department of Education, nor does for determining what to include and exclude. single voice. It is obvious to a grant reader the mention of trade names, commercial prod- 7. Bends without Breaking. The grantmaker is when the voice changes. ucts, or organizations imply endorsement by a master negotiator and knows when to com- 5. Repeat. Repeat. If an RFP asks you to provide the U.S. government. This material is located in promise, but will never be compromised. As the same information more than once, do so the public domain and is freely reproducible. the grantmaker your name and reputation is without question. The RFP, unlike a director, NCELA requests that proper credit be given in the event of reproduction. directly tied to the finished product and you cannot be reasoned with and the RFP AL- are expected to defend your (and your team’s) WAYS has the final word. National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educa- vision, but know when it is necessary to bend 6. Show and Tell. Words are indeed powerful, in order to continue moving the process for- tional Programs (NCELA) but words embedded in a well-designed chart 2011 Eye St., NW, Suite 300 ward. or table convey more with less. The words in 8. Asks Why Not. There are those who will be Washington, DC 20006 your proposal (or in a script) are received best Phone: 202.467.0867 or 1.800.321.6223 quick to conclude that something cannot be when they are compellingly delivered. Fax: 202.467.4283 or 1.800.531.9347 done, but the grantmaker is never satisfied 7. Know Your Limits. Should a play or musical E-mail: [email protected] with an easy no and will ask the more difficult exceed its allotted time, it will increase costs www.ncela.gwu.edu

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition www.ncela.gwu.edu